NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 23 – The government has confirmed that all outstanding payments owed to Mwea rice farmers have been fully settled.
Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society (MRGM) Managing Director Anthony Waweru said payments were made in line with an agreement between farmers and the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC).
“Offloading of stocks has been ongoing, and we have no complaints. Payment was done as agreed by KNTC,” Waweru said.
He added that the cooperative recorded a carry-over of less than one percent from 2025 into 2026, a significant improvement from nearly 30 percent carry-over recorded the previous year.
“As of December 31, I can confirm that KNTC has paid for all rice that was delivered. Based on our projections, KNTC is ready to take up all the rice that farmers bring,” he said.
Waweru spoke during a high-level visit to MRGM by senior government officials led by Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Director General Dr Bruno Linyiru. The delegation included Peter Owoko, Acting Agriculture Secretary at the State Department for Agriculture; Samuel Ndung’u Karogoh, Managing Director of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB); Calistus Kundu, Director of Crops at AFA; and Lucy Anangwe, Managing Director of KNTC.
Founded in 1964, MRGM is the country’s oldest and largest rice cooperative, representing farmers in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, which accounts for about 65 percent of Kenya’s total rice production.
The cooperative also dismissed concerns that rice imports are hurting local farmers, saying Mwea rice serves a premium niche market that does not directly compete with imported rice. While imported rice retails at Sh80–100 per kilogram, Mwea Pishori sells at Sh140–160 per kilogram.
“Our rice is niche and premium. There is no competition between imported rice and locally produced Pishori,” Waweru said.
Kenya produces rice in two irrigated seasons and one rain-fed season. The main irrigated season runs from January–February planting to June–August harvesting, mainly in Mwea, Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala, and Perkerra. A second irrigated season is harvested in November–December, while rain-fed rice depends on long rains and is more variable.
Over the past three years, rice production has steadily increased from 123,916 metric tonnes (MT) of milled rice in 2022 to 169,291 MT in 2024. In 2026, paddy production is projected to reach 302,000 MT, equivalent to 181,200 MT of milled rice, signalling strong growth in the sector.
